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Jester was sat on the ledge outside her window, it was cold, the cold air nipping at her skin, her clothes, pretty they may be, not offering much protection against the winter's evening frost. Jewellery hung draped from her horns, silver reflecting the soft glow of the moon. She let out a sigh as she stared up at the stars, all free and shining. She wanted to be like them, walking through the night sky, she wanted to see everything. The streets stretched out below her, winding paths through Nicodranus. She could leave the Chateau but only rarely, it wasn't good for business, she knew that, besides there was plenty to do. But on nights like this, she felt lonely. Sure, she had her momma, she was lovely but she was very busy. She had the traveller! He was her friend but she wanted someone else to talk to, he was probably very busy too being as powerful as he is. She couldn't remember the last time she'd talked to someone her age, the Chateau wasn't very child friendly. Her bare feet touched the roof tiles and she wondered what it would feel like to slip down, she stood and teetered, cautious enough not to get hurt but taking enough risks for it to be fun. She sat, dangling her legs off the side of the roof when she spotted the silhouette of a figure on the roof of the house next door. They were small and defined, quick, leaping over tiles and not slipping once.
"Who are you?" She cried out, more curious than afraid, yes this could be a robber but they were very small for a bandit.
The figure froze, flattened against the roof, clearly wary, they said in a voice Jester assumed to be a girl, "None of your business."
"Well that's not very nice!" Jester crossed her arms, "I'm not gonna tell on you! I'm Jester!"
The figure still looked cautious but scuttled a little closer, as they approached Jester realised it was a girl about her age. They lowered the hood they had been wearing that was slightly too big for them to reveal a very pretty but slightly scratched up face.
The stranger sat down on the edge of the other building, "I'm Beau, hi,"
"Beau! That's such a nice name! I've never seen you here before!" Jester shouted when she really didn't need to, the roofs were very close together,
"No, I uh, I'm not from around here," she tucked a stray hair behind her ear and shrugged,
"Ah that's cool! Where are you from?"
"Nowhere exciting, some wine town in the middle of nowhere,"
"Are you moving here?"
"Nah I'm on holiday," Jester thought that was odd, she was covered in scrapes and bruises, didn't people usually relax on holidays?
"Ooh! Do you like Nicodranus? Have you seen the beach yet!"
"Nah? My dad doesn't like beaches, he's here to work so I'm going to miss out on the cool stuff like that,"
"You have to go to the beach!" Jester exclaimed, "It's amazing! I'll show you around!"
"You will?"
"Of course!" Jester buzzed, a faint blush painting her cheeks, it was fine, she was making new friends! So why was her heart pounding so hard in her chest and why did she like this stranger so much? "You can't come to Nicodranus and not see the beach!" Her mama wouldn't like her going out this late maybe she should wait till tomorrow.
"Can we go now?" The girl asked, she was pretty, Jester thought, her blue eyes so bright as she beamed at Jester,
"Let's go!" Jester jumped across the roof tiles, only slipping slightly, her grip shifting, but it was enough. She twisted, trying to grab the edge of the roof but she didn't need to. Incredibly quickly, like a striking lightning bolt, the girl, Beau, swept her up, nimble and strong. It had been so long since she'd seen anyone else her age. She looked up, still in Beau's gentle grasp and blushed, their eyes meeting.
"Thanks," Jester gasped,
"Its okay, can't have my guide fall off a building can I!" Her smile was so bright and genuine and warm it made Jester feel fuzzy. Weird, she really needed to talk to more people if this was how it made her feel.
The two of them skittered across rooftops and slid down low walls, laughing and giggling all the way, as young girls often do. Jester might have gotten a little turned around, a left where she should have taken a right or a right where she should have taken a left. They got there in the end. The moonlight on their backs as the waves lapped against the sand. Beau stood, eyes wide, her hand which had been gripping Jester's the whole way slack like her jaw.
"Wow." She said, too astonished to form anything more coherent. She stared and Jester thought it was just so cool; the look on her face, her blue eyes dancing and her cheeks just slightly flushed, the stars spotlighting her from the sky.
They danced. Just the two of them and the waves. The moon cheering them on as Jester sang, the song of two girls and of isolation and adventure. Jester sang of leaving her home to see the world. Beau sang of leaving her home to be herself. Their feet traced patterns in the sand and their minds. They sang of seeing each other again. It was sort of intimate, at least in one meaning of the word. They weren't lovers, just lonely children, hanging on to who they could find. Throwing their heads back and laughing, cold hands and warm hearts. The light glittered in tracks across the ocean, stretching to the horizon. A boat floated nimbly on the surface and the glint in Beau's eye seemed to be more than just moonlight. Jumping and spinning, pulling Jester along, grabbing an oar and an ear, laughing all the way, she pushed the boat away and chills ran down Jester's forearm as Beau brushed against her. They rowed in a loud cacophonous mess, it was fun and then they stopped. It was late and it was just the two of them, hand in hand on the ocean.
"Beau?" Jester said quietly,
After Beau's quick nod she said, "Beau I really like you, like a lot,"
"Me too Jess,"
"I don't want you to go,"
"Can we just stay here? Out on the waves, no one to stop us,"
"You know we can't do that."
"Yeah, I know,"
Jester inhaled, biting her lip then rushing to say, "Beau I really like you and I don't want you to go and I think I want to kiss you."
Oh god.
She said it.
She actually said it.
Beau looked shocked, she clearly hated Jester, she hated her and oh god what was she going to do-
Beau's hands were in her hair, her lips were on here and it wasn't perfect, first kisses never are. It was messy and the boat rocked precariously but for the moment in the moonlight everything felt perfect.
The evening had to end unfortunately but it ended with two girls curled up together in a mountain of blankets high up in the Lavish Chateau.
By the time Jester woke up Beau was gone, she was devastated until she found a note scrawled in ink, "I know your address - so here's mine, keep in touch -Beau."
And they did.